Concert Review: Josh Ritter at Diesel

Diesel is a strange place to see a concert. They have a good soundsystem, but the place has odd acoustic qualities depending on where you stand (this was especially apparent on Sunday night when both the opener and the headliner seemed to want the vocals turned up when the vocals were already too loud). On top of that, it’s hard to ignore the greasy nightclub vibe and the awkward layout, which, unless you arrive early, almost guarantees you an obstructed view. That said, the venue still works well for a rock show, as they do a nice job with lights and it has an industrial feel to it.

For all these reasons, Diesel should not lend itself well to a folky concert, but Josh Ritter—with plenty of help from a stellar backing band—has managed twice now to prove otherwise. It says a lot for this modern troubadour that his traditional yet understated live presence moves astonishingly well between small coffeehouses, large theatres and, apparently, even nightclubs.

Usually outfitted in a slim suit and tie, as he was Sunday, Ritter is always appreciative of his audience and rarely stops smiling when in the presence of fans, on stage or off. After a solid opening set by Mark Erelli (imagine the spawn of Paul Simon, Ray Lamontagne and Clay Aiken), Ritter kicked things off with “Rumors,” a rocker off his last full-length that woke the crowd up and set the tone for the rest of the show. While the night held plenty of Ritter’s old standards, he wasted no time in testing out some of his new material, playing three new tunes in all. The real standout of these was “The Curse,” a stirring waltz about a love affair with a mummy, full of wordplay and surrealism.

Fortunately, Ritter was only met with boos once during the set—after dedicating “You Don’t Make it Easy Babe” to Villanova. Too soon? Yes. Not surprisingly, the night’s loudest applause came from the many ladies in the audience when the band broke into a crowd favorite, “Kathleen,” during which Ritter interjected some lighthearted romantic musings as he often does and even took to his knees for the final verse.

After a great rendition of “Monster Ballads” (a personal favorite from his catalogue) and another exceptional new tune, Ritter was a bit uneven on a few of his classics, “Bad Actress” and “Harrisburg,” but quickly turned things around closing out the main set with a thoroughly energetic “To the Dogs or Whoever.”

Without delay, Ritter returned to the stage solo for a Springsteen cover which saw Ritter stepping to the fore of the stage for a few unmiked verses, a trick which usually works well but was sullied this time by a noisy barstaff. Finally, Ritter finished out the show by inviting the audience to join him afterward at Dee’s Café and launching into his much-loved sing-along, “Snow is Gone.”

But that wasn’t it for him. The consummate entertainer, Ritter immediately moved to the floor to filter through his fans, still smiling. It’s clear watching this guy that he finds a lot to love in life, and perhaps chief among those things are music and his fellow man. Surely everyone leaving the show on Sunday took a little of that love along with them.

Setlist:

1. Rumors

2. Right Moves

3. Love Me (?) (new song)

4. Lilian, Egypt

5. You Don’t Make it Easy, Babe

6. The Curse (new song)

7. Roll On

8. Mind’s Eye

9. Kathleen

10. Monster Ballads

11. Another New World (new song)

12. Bad Actress

13. Harrisburg

14. To the Dogs or Whoever

Encore:

15. The River (Springsteen)

16. Empty Hearts

17. Snow is Gone

Download:

Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (Mediafire link)